Summertime bodies are built in the winter, and we know it. If you’re wanting to lose a significant amount of weight before swimsuit season, you’ll need to have a plan in place the second the leaves start falling off the trees. With holidays, parties, warm snuggles, and cuddle season—snacking, treats, feasts, and beverages run rampant during the winter months, and it’s very easy to add a few extra pounds to your frame this time of year.

By creating a routine for exercising and eating, you can prevent winter weight gain and even achieve great fitness goals by the time spring hits.

Indoor Winter Fitness

Consistent workouts throughout the winter are a struggle at times. Forcing yourself outside, into the cold, seems less appealing than staying home and putting on your favorite sweatpants. You may not always want to head to the gym, and that’s okay! There are endless routines you can do from home to burn serious calories and gain toned, lean muscle mass. You can do tons of workouts requiring zero equipment, but if you’re interested in adding more of a challenge to your routine, below we’ve compiled a few essential pieces to a home gym:

Great Equipment For A Basic Home Gym

Treadmill – NordicTrack treadmills have great entertainment and training features. The incline trainers also offer a huge incline option of 40% for running, walking, lunges, and more HIIT style training.

Free Weights – A variety of heavy and light weights are great, depending on your fitness level. For women, we recommend having a range of 5-20 pound weights to do a variety of exercises. For men, consider having a selection of heavier weights.

Resistance Bands – These add a great variable to body weight exercises. They can be used in a number of ways from working your arms all the way down to your feet.

Floor mat – A floor mat is great just for comforts sake. If you’re working on the floor with crunches, push-ups, or stretching, it’s nice to have some cushion.

More Advanced Home Gym Equipment If You Have A Devoted Space

Pull-up bar – Simple pull-ups are a great way to build upper body strength and core. But you can also use the pull-up bar in combination with resistance bands in a number of ways.

Gymnastics Rings – Gymnastics rings (or TRX Bands) are a great way to mix up your routine with more body weight exercises.

Weight Bench – This is another great piece of equipment to have when exercising at home, but can consume too much space for some homeowners. If you don’t have room for a weight bench, you can often substitute it with a sturdy kitchen chair for many exercises like tricep dips and step-ups.

Use The Best Experts Who Can Help You At Home

Chris Clark, Tanya Poppett, Stacie Clark, Hannah Eden, and Michael Vazquez are some of the trainers you’ll gain access to with an iFit® subscription, which can be as low as $9 a month (much cheaper than a gym membership). Exercising with NordicTrack trainers keeps you excited, motivated, and engaged during your workout. You’re more likely to see results when you have a coach to help you improve your efforts. Now’s the time to start your new routine, so you see results you’re proud of when you hit the beach next summer!